Julián Álvarez wants to play for FC Barcelona. The problem is that his current employer, Atlético Madrid, doesn’t seem interested in letting him go to anyone, at any price, for any reason. At least not yet.
The bids, the rejections, the standoff
Barcelona opened the bidding with an offer of €100 million for the Argentine striker. Atlético Madrid rejected it around May 29, 2026. Not a counter-offer. Not a “come back with more.” Just a flat no.
Real Madrid then stepped in with a significantly larger bid of €150 million in early June. Atlético rejected that one too.
Atlético has publicly stated they are not considering offers for Álvarez. Reports suggest Atlético’s actual valuation sits somewhere above €120 million, and possibly well north of €150 million.